barberry

Berberis vulgaris is the scientific name of the barberry, a shrub that owes its name to a lightly fermented beverage made from its red berries, which resembles wine. However, its interest for beekeepers lies mainly in its flowers, which produce very abundant nectar during the months of May and June.

The barberry is a shrub with upright branches bearing long, three-pointed spines at the points where the leaves are attached. Flowers also form at these points, arranged in hanging yellow clusters. Each of the six petals of the corolla carries two elongated nectaries. It is here that bees collect the abundant nectar produced during flowering, which takes place in May and June. While foraging, bees trigger a mechanism specific to this species: a light touch causes a sudden movement of the stamen filament, bringing the pollen into contact with the stigmas. The yellow pollen is also produced in large quantities and collected by insects.

Barberry is a plant that prefers sun or partial shade and rather calcareous soils. It is common in gardens, rockeries, hedges and along field edges. There are many varieties, with evergreen or deciduous leaves, flowers and berries of different colours, and flowering periods extending from spring to summer. All show good resistance to cold.

The small, elongated red berries ripen in autumn; they are edible, very acidic and rich in vitamin C. They can be eaten fresh or dried, or used to make jams. In addition to the beverage already mentioned, they can also be distilled into a spirit. Do you know the one made by Walter in St. Oyen (Acquavite di crespino)?

Sources

T. Silberfeld, C. Reeb, Les plantes mellifères, 2016

Various authors, Giardinaggio senza problemi, Guida completa del Reader’s Digest, 1981